Rail trail options all call for loss of parking spaces

Friday

Jun 29, 2007 at 12:01 AMJun 29, 2007 at 6:29 AM

As plans for the Assabet River Rail Trail, which will end in South Acton, move forward, the trail’s possible impact on one of the town’s most traffic congested areas remains a major concern for both residents and town officials.

Connecting the trail to the MBTA commuter lot requires installing a prefabricated bridge over the MBTA tracks parallel to the bridge on Main Street with ramps on either side. Design plans for the ramp on the north side of the bridge, reviewed by the Board of Selectmen at a June 25 meeting, lead down the 18-foot slope from Main Street to the Railroad Street parking lot and would require eliminating some of the existing parking spaces in the lot.

Christian Schiavone

As plans for the Assabet River Rail Trail, which will end in South Acton, move forward, the trail’s possible impact on one of the town’s most traffic congested areas remains a major concern for both residents and town officials.

Connecting the trail to the MBTA commuter lot requires installing a prefabricated bridge over the MBTA tracks parallel to the bridge on Main Street with ramps on either side. Design plans for the ramp on the north side of the bridge, reviewed by the Board of Selectmen at a June 25 meeting, lead down the 18-foot slope from Main Street to the Railroad Street parking lot and would require eliminating some of the existing parking spaces in the lot.

The prospect of losing any parking spaces in the already traffic congested area sparked concerns for some board members.

“We have such a need for parking that’s not met already that taking any more parking is really going to hurt,” said Selectman Pauline Knibbe.

Town Planner Roland Bartl and Jef Fasser, a representative of the Worcester-based engineering firm BSC Group, presented the selectmen with three alternative plans for the Railroad Street ramp, all of which would require removing some parking spaces.

The options include:

· A ramp with three switchbacks, or tight turns, and landings that would extend out into the lot and would eliminate seven parking spaces to create a walkway for pedestrians and bicyclers;

· A shorter ramp with only one switchback that would end at the edge of the lot, which would require raising a section of the lot to meet the shorter ramp and would also eliminate the seven parallel parking spaces in the lot;

· A longer ramp with one switchback and a long raised section that would extend to the far end of the lot and require eliminating nearly all parking spaces in the lot.

The ramp on the south side of the bridge will bring pedestrians from the end of the railroad tracks up a 27-foot slope to Maple Street, and has no impact on parking.

Selectman Peter Berry suggested that the trail could just end at the bottom of the ramp, rather than connecting to the MBTA parking lot, but Bartl said ending the trail short of the lot could impact the state and federal funding, some of which is contingent upon increasing access to public transportation.

Federal funding is scheduled for the 2010 fiscal year.

While everyone at the meeting agreed that parking was a concern, several attendees said losing parking might be a fair tradeoff for encouraging more people to use the trail.

“The conception is this is a pleasure path, but the reality is this is a commuter path and if we lose eight parking spaces, we may gain eight people who ride their bikes and don’t park their cars,” said Selectman Andy Magee. “I don’t like losing parking spaces but I’m not sure you’ve lost from and environmental point of view.”

Bike riders have also raised concerns about the number of proposed switchbacks on the shorter versions of the ramp, which they say leaves little room for turning and have the potential to cause accidents with pedestrians or other bicyclists.

“The switchbacks are really hard to negotiate on a bike,” said Beth Hickey, one of about 15 residents who attended the meeting. “I think they’re a little dangerous.”

Hickey suggested the town put up signs instructing bicyclers to walk their bikes down the ramp instead of riding them.

The Board did not reach a consensus on the plan and asked Bartl to allow them to review the designs and meet again at the next selectmen’s meeting, July 16. Bartl said that after getting more feedback from the Selectmen he will present their comments and the plans to MassHighway for review, hopefully this summer.

The initial plans for the town’s other rail trail project, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, are ready to for review by MassHighway.

Christian Schiavone can be reached at 978-371-5743 or at cschiavo@cnc.com.